DIGITAL DISCIPLESHIP TOOLS: APPS, SITES, AND NETWORKS

Your church can have an effective online ministry presence and can disciple people through a variety of apps and tools. In the following article, I will share several links to tools and resources that will help your congregation grow and flourish in our very digital world.

As I sit here thinking through the many digital discipleship tools that are available to churches of every size, I get a little bit excited. For the lay person or pastor, it truly seems like a lot. So, I am going to share some of my favorite easy-to-use, effective, simple tools for churches of any and every size. These may also work for individuals and ministries. This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an exhaustive list, but it is a good starting point.

Social Media (Great for Information Sharing, Encouragement and Growth)

• Facebook Pages are good for public posting of events, activities, inspiration and encouragement. Most users are in the 30+ age demographic.

POST IDEAS: upcoming church services, small groups, quotes by the pastor, scriptures, photos (with permission), etc.

• Facebook Groups are connected to a Facebook page, but they serve as a more private place to share information that is more attendee based.

POST IDEAS: volunteer needs, prayer requests, meal train plans, etc.

• Instagram is the space where the younger demographic operates. Use it to share edgier content.

POST IDEAS: youth group photos and fun youthmade videos, children’s ministry photos (faces should be blurred unless parental permission has been obtained), reels to encourage and share information about the church

• TikTok is still a very current, very much in-the-news app that young and old find useful.

POST IDEAS: sermon clips, photo montages, videos, encouraging Scripture verses, etc.

• YouVersion for Churches allows you to create a space for your church where you can do Bible reading/devotional plans with your congregation.

Communication (Effective Tools to

Share the Word)

• Remind (group texting software): https://www. remind.com/apps

• GroupMe (group texting software): https://groupme. com/

• WhatsApp (private messaging and calling app): https://www.whatsapp.com/

• Zoom (great for Bible studies and small groups): https://www.zoom.com/

Graphics Design (For General Church Use and for Creating Presentations, Sermon Notes and Other Helpful Materials)

Note: Not all images are free to use for commercial purposes. Some need to be purchased or a license for use obtained.

• Canva (FREE design software for charities, easy to use, has great templates); available through an app or web browser: https://www.canva.com/canva-fornonprofits/

• Life.Church Open Network (FREE resources for local churches): https://open.life.church/

• Pixabay (royalty-free images and stock photos): https://pixabay.com/

• Adobe Fonts (FREE with Creative Cloud subscription): https://fonts.adobe.com/

Live Streaming (Spread the Word)

Note: When using music in your live stream, remember to use it in the form covered by your CCLI license

• Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is a FREE streaming software for Windows or Mac that allows streaming to multiple platforms with required internet bandwidth (https://obsproject.com/).

• YouTube offers FREE streaming, directly or via software plugins, for those with a verified YouTube account and 50 subscribers (https://restream.io/).

• Church Online Platform is a FREE live streaming platform geared toward churches (https:// churchonlineplatform.com/).

Studying the Word of God (Discipleship Tools)

• YouVersion Bible App:  https://www.youversion.com/ the-bible-app/

• Blue Letter Bible (app or browser): https://www. blueletterbible.org/

• Enduring Word Free Bible Commentary: https:// enduringword.com/

Projection Software (For Music and for General Church Use)

Please make sure you have a current CCLI License.

• EasyWorship Presentation Software (nominal monthly fee): https://www.easyworship.com/

• ProPresenter Presentation Software (monthly fee after free trial period): https://www.renewedvision. com/

• Proclaim Presentation Software (monthly fee after free trial period): https://proclaim.logos.com/

Website Building (A Great Way to Start the Ball Rolling for Any Church)

• Google Sites (FREE with Google or Gmail account): https://sites.google.com o Google Sites o YouTube Channel o Google Calendar o Google Forms o Google Slides o Google Documents o Google Drive (15G of storage) o Google Spreadsheets

(I use this option a lot. With a FREE Gmail address comes a suite of FREE options.)

• Wix (FREE website builder; upgraded plans available for a fee): https://www.wix.com/

• SquareSpace (Free trial, but must purchase a plan to go public): https://www.squarespace.com/

Administration and Giving Software (Make Giving Easy in a Digital World)

• Planning Center (church management software): https://www.planningcenter.com/

• EasyTithe (online giving platform): https://www. easytithe.com/

• Zeffy (FREE fundraising platform): https://www.zeffy. com/

• PushPay (online giving platform with other management tools): https://pushpay.com/

Children and Youth Ministries

(Teach About Jesus and the Path to Salvation)

• Ministry to Children: FREE Lessons and Resources: https://ministry-to-children.com/

• Bible App for Kids: https://open.life.church/preschool

• Youth Lessons: https://thesource4ym.com/ or https:// ymresource.com/index.php/ideas-curriculumfree/1543-the-source-for-youth-ministry

What are you dreaming of? How do you want to further the gospel? With some ingenuity, some creativity and patience, all churches can make an impact on the lives of those around them. Take a few moments to check out the resources available to you. By simply implementing just one of these tools effectively, you could be taking a huge step toward advancing the gospel through growing great disciples.

As with any resource, be certain to do your research to see if what is offered affordably meets your needs, and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Email: glynisvarlack@gmail.com

Website: https://www.glynisvarlack.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/glynisvarlack

Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/glynisvarlack